Hodkinson at the crossroads
Canterbury halfback Trent Hodkinson will almost certainly be named New South Wales halfback on Tuesday afternoon but is no certainty to hold his Bulldogs No7 jumper after being hooked by coach Des Hasler in Monday’s come-from-behind victory. The Bulldogs trailed 16-10 deep into the second half against rivals St George Illawarra – having butchered a 10-0 lead – and were lifeless in attack with a kicking game so poor from Hodkinson he would have missed the side of a barn door from the doormat directly in front. Hasler had seen enough and sent spurned former Origin five-eighth Josh Reynolds – who found it impossible to sit still on a bench he was unaccustomed to – to inject some energy and creativity. It paid immediate dividends with the Bulldogs scoring from a long Reynolds pass before crossing for two more not long after.
The 16-10 deficit was turned into a famous 29-16 victory in a win that delighted the Bulldogs faithful. It was likely a win that has marked the end of Hodkinson’s time at the Bulldogs though. Room needs to be made for rising superstar Moses Mbye, who was scintillating against the Dragons, and it is clear that Reynolds offers more than a sluggish Hodkinson lacking all confidence. And Canterbury, having let Johnathan Thurston go a decade ago to keep more experienced duo Brent Sherwin and Braith Anasta, won’t make the same mistake. The future is now and that could see Hodkinson go from NSW Origin to the NSW Cup.
Cherry on top
Daly Cherry-Evans’ Queensland “exile” is likely to come to an end less than a week after it began with a knee injury to Maroons halfback Cooper Cronk likely to lead to the Manly No7 joining the starting side for Queensland for Game II of the Origin series. The Maroons selection will come just days after Cherry-Evans was labelled a traitor to his state for turning his back on a sizeable deal to join the Gold Coast Titans to stay with Manly, a decision that saw him booed with great vigour in Friday night’s loss to the Broncos.
Queensland fans are likely to forgive and forget though with Cherry-Evans to be given the chance to lead the Maroons to their ninth series victory of the last decade at the MCG. In Queensland state football trumps all and Cherry-Evans’ perceived snub of those north of the Tweed is unlikely to do any enduring damage to his legacy.
Stadium not up to scratch
ANZ Stadium is supposed to be the NRL’s crown jewel but was nothing short of a disgrace for Monday’s clash between the Bulldogs and Dragons with the playing surface covered in sand and clods of dirt flying regularly as players struggled with their footing. This is the ground that hosts the grand final yet it looked more like a cow paddock or Brookvale Oval. The MCG never looks so bad. Old Trafford is never so sore on the eye. The worst condition Wrigley Field is ever in is pristine.
Combined with a scarcity of ticket-sellers that left large queues outside the ground at kick-off, major traffic problems, all train services running through Lidcombe rather than direct and most of the food vendors being closed it is clear than the problems at ANZ run extremely deep. Premier Mike Baird may have gone cold on a recommended proposal to build a new stadium at Moore Park and redevelop Parramatta Stadium but that is exactly what rugby league in Sydney needs. ANZ Stadium just isn’t up to scratch for any league fan who wants a positive gameday experience.
Perth is calling
The time for talking expansion is over and the time for putting a team in Perth is now. Western Australia again showed it was ready for big-time rugby league on Saturday night with 20,727 turning out for South Sydney and New Zealand at NIB Stadium. Four of the last six matches played in Perth have topped 20,000. With the benefit of the timezone, a history of league with the Western Reds and a significant ex-pat population of Eastern Staters, New Zealanders and Britons, it is clear that a team from Perth could thrive with the right nurturing. It is time the NRL stands up and declares a team will be coming to Perth in time for the next television deal.
Rugby league maths-off
The Titans – and in particular, five-eighth Aidan Sezer – were widely mocked on Friday night by many “experts” for their decision to take a number of penalty goals and a field goal that did not conform to the popular – and silly – version of rugby league maths. Common thinking goes that a penalty or field goal should only be taken if it extends a lead beyond a converted try or multiple thereof. This is ridiculous short-term thinking that comes from the same experts who will happily sprout notions that a big lead cannot be overcome in one play and that doing the little things right wins games.
Sezer kicked a penalty to extend the Titans lead from 14 to 16 and then took a drop goal to extend the lead to 17. Neither were conventional plays but both were smart as the expected return from a bomb or a kick or another set in both situations were less than two and one with both coming after stoppages. Only one missed conversion and the extra point comes right into play, as it did on Friday. In the end Sezer’s field goal proved critical, giving the Titans a seven-point lead late in the match, ensuring a Tigers comeback was impossible. Rugby league commentators need to start thinking about how teams can win games and do less sprouting of engrained notions that don’t actually hold weight when tested.
